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LUMINOUS TUBE SIGN original Filed April 24( 193:54l 2 sneets-sheefc2-l3.5. 3;/ ff JJ 553% U I l. j l Snow@ Patented May 13, 1937 UNiTED STESTET FHQE LUMINOUS TUBE SIGN York Application April 24, 1933, Serial No.667,728 Renewed September 5, 1935 17 Claims.

This invention relates to luminous tube signs and among' other objects,aims to provide a sign which will display a very wide variety ofadvertisements, drawings or messages each having the characteristiccolor and all the brilliance of a neon sign, and which will bechangeable according to the needs or whims of the merchant, atpractically no cost, without substantial loss of time and as often as achange is desired. More specically, the invention provides a sign onwhich the merchant may write, print or draw his own special announcement(and on which a permanent advertisement may also be placed), with theassurance that the announcement or advertisement will have thecharacteristic liery luminosity of a neon or luminous gas sign, will bepermanent until a change is desired, and will be changeable in a fewminutes, without necessitating carrying a stock of advertisements orletters. The invention further provides a luminous tube sign which is asindividual and personal as handwriting itself, because it may project,in flaming colors, any handwritten message, or any drawing or sketch,within the limits of the medium employed for writing or drawing. The in-Vention has other objects which will appear from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment, and of three forms of reflectors,any one of which may be an element of the preferred or other embodimentof the invention.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this speoification,-

Fig. l is a front elevation of an easel type of sign embodying theinvention;

2 is an end elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a .rear elevation of the same;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-13 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a sectional View showing the reflector and tube arrangementfor a sign displaying matter on both sides;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional View showing another form oi'reflector associated with neon tubing; and

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional View showing still another form ofreilector associated with neon tubing.

Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown an improved neonsign comprising an easel or stand Ill on which is swiveled the signproper. Instead of being on a stand, the sign may be supported on atripod, or it may be suspended by a wire or form a part of a displaystand for merchandise. The manner of supporting the sign (Cl. 11G-132)proper is of no importance, so far as the present invention isconcerned,

The sign proper in this instance is a double sign, facing in onedirection, but frequently the signs will be so constructed as to face intwo opposite directions so as to be read from either side. The doublesign shown comprises an upper frame Il and a lower frame I2, both framespreferably being of sheet metal nished on the outside with enamel,lacquer or a metallic plating to enhance the appearance and durabilityof the sign. An outer ornamental metal strip i3 connects frames II andI2 and makes them appear more or less continuous, but plays no part insupporting the upper frame II. Instead, brackets I4, fast to the upperface of frame I2 and to the lower face of frame Il, provide thenecessary rigid support for the latter frame and the parts mountedthereon.

The illustrative sign is designed to display in the upper frame anadvertisement which is more or less permanent in nature, while the signin the lower frame is to be readily changeable. Hence the front wall ofthe sign is formed by a clear glass panel I5 set inside the metal frameI i, with a permanent advertisement painted or stenciled on its innersurface. Adjacent the glass panel I5, but inside frame H, is neon tubingIii, which is standard tubing bent to provide a plurality of parallel,closely adjacent tube lengths, with standard electrodes I'I at theopposite ends. As shown, the electrodes I l are back of the paralle]tube lengths, thus minimizing the dimensions of the sign. Preferably,the distance between each of the parallel tube lengths is about equal tothe diameter of the tubing I 6.

Directly back of the neon tubing, and in contact therewith, is ametallic reflector I8, whose design is such that it reflects practicallyall the light emitted from the neon tubing, thus directing what ispractically a sheet of light outwardly through the sign. Fig. 6 showsthe relationship of reector I8 and tubing I6, except that in this gurethere are two reflectors, placed back to back, for a sign facing twoways. It will be noted that the reector I8 is corrugated, with a seriesof troughs in which the tubing I6 extends, said troughs being tangent tothe tube lengths at their bottoms. The parallel ridges I9 between thetroughs preferably extend forwardly only as far .u

as the plane of the axes of the parallel tube lengths.

The metallic reilector I8 is preferably made of Very thin metal having achromium plated surface for high reflectivity and freedom from oxi- Cildation, ctc. In a commercial form of the invention, a thin sheet of zincis first thin layer oi nickel and then the chrom1um 1s plated on .thenickel, and is polished, to provide a very bright, thin, flexible,easily bent sheet which is quite inexpensive. vSuch a reenotor, shapedto give the proper light reflection, 1s of great importance to thesuccessful commercialization of the present invention, as it has beenfound that plane reflectors do not give the proper elect and that glassreiiectors apparently are impractical. lnsteadcf the form shown in Fig.6, rerlectors liire those in Figs. 7 and 8 may be set in frame il, backoi tubing l. These modications will be described briefly later.

` To hold reflector i3 in position, uprights 2S extend transversely offrame ll and are secured to the back cf 'the reiiector. The reiector maybe of such dimensions as to iit the inside of frame l I rather snugly,and uprights 2li are made readily removable, to facilitate assembly ofthe parts. The tubing it is held by flanged strips 2l at each end of theframe, padding 22 being between strips 2l and the end bends or thetubing. A flanged copper tube support '23 is secured inside frame Il atthe ends and has bendable fingers 23a which are curved around the endbends of the tubing, so that the latter is supported properly by theframe.

The rear oi the sign frame ll is shown open, for clearness cfillustration, but a back cover (not shown) will usually hide theinterior of the sign. The same is true of the lower sign, which isconstructed exactly like the upper sign, except for the front signpanel. As shown, the lower sign hasv a reflector tubing 25, electrodes2B, transverse members 2l, hanged strips 28 at the ends, and padding andtube supports 3D. The frame l2 also has alined perforations for pins 3lpassing through the arms cf the easel, and a knob 32, secured to one ofthe pins as by a screw-thread (not shown) may be used to vary the angleofthe two signs, so that the advertisements may be more easily read whenthe observer is above or below the sign.

In practice, the tubing of the upper sign will often emit light of onecolor and the tubing of the lower sign a contrasting color. Forinstance, a very beautiful and attention-arresting sign unit will havethe upper, permanent sign in neon blue, and the lower, changeable signin the familiar neon red.

While the upper sign is herein called the permarient sign, it can beeasily changed, once the upper sign is disassembled, to expose the innersurface of the glass panel I5. The manner of changing the advertisementon the upper sign panel may be ,exactly the saine as the manner ofchanging the lower sign panel 33, the body of which is also a sheet ofclear glass; or the upper sign may be iormed'frcm a permanent lacquer orpaint and never be changed. K

On the outer surface of the glass panel 33 of the lower sign there is acoating 34 of a preferably black, quick-drying paint or lacquer, ofsuchcharacter that it may be applied with an ordinary brush and dries veryrapidly forming avery thin but practically permanent, absolutelyopaquecoating, free from pin-holes. Such a coating is readily scratchedor erased from the glass panel, and hence affordsa medium with which anartist or any other person may work to produce written or letteredmessages or sketches or combinations thereof. Almost any pointedinstrument or eraser may be used to form letters, etc. on the coatedwith very coating. As the coating is erased, it exposes the clear glassbeneath, which transmits the full light of the neon tubing 25. Thus anyletter, numeral or picture erased from the black coating will shine withall the light of the neon tubing behind it; and as the reiiector .i isso designed as to send out the light rays almost as a ccntinuous,

sheet of light, there will be no dark areas backrof the letters erasedand the letters will be substantially as bright as though they wereformed from neon tubing, and from a short distance, will appear to be sofern ed. Theprefe-rred form of paint is the subject of a separateapplication.

When preparing an advertisement from the' erasable paint or lacquer, itis highly advanta.l

geous to provide means facilitating the forming of a border around thebody or the advertisement. In this instance, the glass panel 33 has ashallow groove 35 which guides the eraser, making it possible to ferm aneat', straight border around the i lettering. 1f desired, instead of astraight groove, curved grooves or interrupted grooves (not shown) maybe cast or otherwise formed in the glass. The glass may be painted onthe inside to provide a permanent border of the desired design.

if when writing or lettering a drawing on the black coating a mistake ismade, the worker may remove all the coating by using a safety razorblade, the coating falling below in a ne dust which may be caught on apiece of paper. 1f desired (and this will be especially advantageous ifthe sign is suspended over sidewalks) a trough.

(not shown) may 'ce formed on or attached to the sign frame so as tocatch all the black dust scraped ofi the sign when a change is made init; and at convenient intervals, the trough may be cleaned out orremoved without danger of dumping dust on passers-by.

If desired, a slight correction may be made by L..

merely brushing over the area where the change is to be made, thenwaiting a few minutes before proceeding with the work. The preferredpaint or lacquer dries suiliciently thoroughly for working in ve minutesof less, and once dry, is absolutely permanent unless rubbed against.Hence the upper, so-called permanent sign may be made if desired withthe saine lacquer as is used on the lower sign; and as it is formed onthe inside surface or" the glass panel l5, no rubbing of said panel canai'lect the upper sign in any way.

The lower sign is designed so it can be readily changed, several times aday if desired. If, however, the sign is not to be changed very often,or if it is to hang out-of-doors, the lacquered surface of panel 33 maybe protected by an outer sheet of clear glass (not shown) held in thesame frame which holds panel 33. A weather-proof strip (not shown) willbe employed on any outdoor sign to prevent moisture from working inbetween the protective glass sheet and the lacquered panel 33.

While a black lacquer is preferred, when a particularly striking effectis desired, I contemplate using a compound of Prussian blue and Whitingwith a suitable vehicle, which when brushed over and all signs so formedwill be changeable to suit the needs or whims of the sign owner and willbe entirely different in appearance from any signs heretofore known.Color effects never possible before are now made easy, and in almostinfinite variety; and with all the signs, changes may be made wheneverdesired at practically no cost and without taking the sign out ofservice for more than a few minutes.

The lacquer is preferably applied on the sign when lighted, so that theworker may be assured of an opaque or even coating and may also observethe nal effect, without switching the light on and off.

While the reflectors I3 and 28 are highly satisfactory and arepreferred, they have the slight drawback of producing what seem to bedark lines, formed where the light is not reflected from the sharpridges i9. To eliminate this effect, I have devised the reflector 36shown in Fig. 7. The form of Fig. 7 is such that the tubing 25 may bepartly supported by the reflector 36, as will be understood, but thisform is slightly less efficient in the reflection of light. Thereflector 31 of Fig. 3 is essentially a series of parabolic reflectorsjoined together, one back of each tube length, and is the leastdesirable of the three forms of reflectors, as it is more difficult tomake and also shows dark lines.

When a double sign is used, instead of there being two reflectors, as inFig. 6, and two spaced tube grids, the reflectors may be eliminatedentirely and the two grids may lie in the same plane, with the tubelengths of one grid alternating with the tube lengths of the other grid,the other parts being as shown in Fig. 6. However, the form of Fig. 6 ispreferred, as it is more eflcient and the dark lines or shadows are muchless pronounced.

While the described sign unit has a permanent sign above the changeablesign, other arrange-v ments may be employed. For example, a singlepaneled sign may be used with a permanent border bearing the name andslogan of the merchant, and surrounding a rectangular central section ofclear glass, to the outer face of which the erasable lacquer may beapplied for formation of a changeable sign, in accordance with theinvention.

While the sign reaches its maximum usefulness when made with erasablepaint, in some instances in place of the outer sheet of clear glass, Imay employ stencils, painted glass slides and other known sign-formingmedia, particularly if the signs are to be standardized for oneparticular advertising message.

In this specification, the term neon tube or neon tubing is intended tobe generic and to include all luminous tubing, whether filled with neon,helium, argon, krypton or other'rare gases. And by the .term translucentI mean lighttransmitting, and I include clear glass, as this is by farthe best glass for use in the improved sign.

While I have described a preferred embodiment of the invention, andseveral forms of reflectors, all of which will give satisfactoryresults, I wish it to be understood that the present invention may beembodied in many different signs within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire toi secureby Letters Patent is:-

l. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, a grid of luminoustubing and electrodes; an opaque reflector back of the tubing havingrounded grooves each receiving one of the lengths of the tubing andadapted to reflect from its outer surface a large proportion of the ligt forwardly between the lengths of the tubing; a translucent paneldirectly in front of the tubing and parallel to the general plane of thegrid; and a coating of a paint, which is easily erased when dry, oneither surface of the translucent panel.

2. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, a grid of luminoustubing and electrodes; an opaque grooved reflector back of the tubingand substantially in tangential contact at the bottoms of the grooveswith the tubing; said grooves being so shaped as to reflect the lightfrom the tubing substantially as a continuous sheet of light; atranslucent panel in front of the tubing; and a coating of a paint,which is easily erased when dry, on either surface of the translucentpanel.

3. An illuminated sign comprising, in cornbination, luminous gas tubingbent to provide a series of tube lengths parallel to each other andspaced apart a distance not less than the diameter of the tubing; anopaque reflector back of the tubing having shallow grooves each of whichreceives a tube length, and having its front surface so finished as tohave a high reflecting power; a translucent panel in front of thetubing; and a coating of a paint, which is easily erased when dry, oneither surface of the translucent panel.

4. An illuminated ysign comprising, in combination, luminous gas tubingbent to provide a series of tube lengths parallel to each other; anopaque reflector back of the tubing, said reflector presenting a seriesof transversely arcuate, rectilinear, shallow grooves in each of which`r lies one of the tube lengths substantially tangential contacttherewith; the surfaces of said grooves being sol finished as to havehigh reflecting. powers, and the areas between adjacent grooves beingsharp ridges; a translucent panel in front of the tubing; and a coatingof a paint, which is easily erased when dry, on either surface of thetranslucent panel.

5. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, luminous gas tubingproviding a series of tube lengths parallel to each other; a reflectorback of the tubing; said reflector presenting a series of groovesrunning longitudinally with the tubing and being spaced from the tubingalong the bottoms of said grooves but in Contact with the tubingimmediately adjacent the relatively sharp ridges which separate thegrooves; translucent panel in front of the tubing; and a lightobscuring,sign-forming layer on either surface of the translucent panel.

6. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, luminous gas tubingproviding a series of tub-e lengths parallel to each other; a reflectorback of the tubing; said reflector presenting a series of groovesextending longitudinally with the tubing and in tangential contact withthe tube lengths, and each groove being substantially parabolic incross-section; a translucent panel in front of the tubing; ,and alight-obscuring sign-forming layer on either surface of the translucentpanel.

7. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, luminous gas tubingbent to provide a series of tube lengths parallel to each other andyished as'to have high reflectivity; and a translucent sign panel infront of the tubing.

8. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, luminous gas tubingbent to provide a series of tube lengths parallel to each other; a thin,brightly polished, grooved, metallic reflector back of and in contactwith the tubing; a translucent panel in front of the tubing; and acoating of an erasable, light-obscuring paint on either surface of thetranslucent panel.

9. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, luminous gas tubingbent to provide a series of tube lengths parallel to each other; a thin,brightly polished, grooved, metallic reflector back of and in contactwith the tubing; the groovesl being shallow so that the tubing projectsoutwardly'beyond the same; a translucent panel in front of the tubing;and a coating of an erasable, opaque, quick-drying paint on eithersurface of the translucent panel.

10. A luminous tube sign comprising, in combination, luminous tubingbent to form a flat coil; a translucent sign panel in front of thetubing; a reflector back of the tubing and having shallow grooves inwhichthe lengths of the tubing lie; the outer portions of said tubingprojecting beyond the ridges between the shallo-w grooves; the reflectorhaving such light-reflecting qualities that the light from the tubing isreflected between the lengths of the tubing; and a coating of anerasable, light-obscuring, paint on either surface of the translucentpanel.

11. A luminous tube sign comprising, in comu blnation, a plurality ofparallel luminous tube lengths; a translucent sign panel in front of thetubing; an opaque reflector directly back of the tubing and grooved toreceive the tube lengths so that the light from the tubing is reflectedfrom the surface adjacent the tubing substantially as a sheet of light.4

12. A luminous tube sign comprising, in combination, tubing bent to forma plurality of parallel tube lengths; a translucent sign panel in frontof and parallel to the plane of the tubing; a thin coating of an opaque,erasable paint on the outer surface of the panel; and an opaquereflector back of the tubing and so shaped that the light from thetubing is reflected substantially as a sheet of light; said reectorhaving grooves which receive the parallel tube lengths and said groovesbeing separated by sharp ridges which project forwardly at least as faras the plane of the longitudinal axes of said tube lengths.

13. A luminous tube sign comprising, in combination, tubing bent to forma plurality of parallel tube lengths; a translucent sign panel in frontof the tubing; a thin coating of an opaque, erasable paint on the outersurface of the panel; a shallow groove formed on the outer surface ofthe panel to facilitate the forming of a border for a sign erased out ofsaid coating; and a reflector back of the tubing and so shaped that thelight from the tubing is reflected substantially as a sheet of light.

14. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, luminous tubingpresenting'parallel tube lengths; a, panel of glass; means holding thetubing and glass panel close together and parallele; a thin,substantially opaque coating of a paint adhering to one of the surfacesof said panel, said coating being easily removable when dry by markingit with any pointed or edged instrumentality; and an opaque reflectorhaving parallel, shallow, rounded, grooves, each of which receives atube length; the depth `of each groove being Vequal to about half thediameter of the tubing and the outer surfaces of the reflector betweeneach pair of grooves being sharp ridges.

15. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, a frame; luminousgas tubing providing a series of parallel tubes; a reflector supportedby the frame back of the tubing and shaped to pro vide a series ofgrooves with relativelyY sharp ridges between each pair of grooves; saidgrooves being non-arcuate in cross-section and varying" in curvature;the tube lengths lying in` each groove and in contact with the reflectorin those portions of the grooves which have the shortest radii ofcurvature, the remaining portions of the grooves being free and shapedto reflect the light of the tubing forwardly, substantially as a sheetof light; and a sign panel in front of the tubing.

16. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, luminous gas tubing,providing a series f parallel tube lengths; a reflector back of thetubing being Yshaped to provide a series of grooves each of whichreceives one ofthe tube lengths, each groove being essentially parabolicin crosssection; the areas between each pair of grooves being reduced tosharp ridges, which project forwardly beyond the plane tangent to theoutsides of the tube lengths; and a sign panel in front of the tubing.

17. An illuminated sign comprising, in combination, neon tubing; agrooved opaque reector back of the tubing; the'walls of the grooves ofsaid reflector being of high reflectivity and being curved transverselyso as to bend the light on either side of the tubing; each length oftubing being received Within one of said grooves; each groove havingrelatively sharp ridges on either side extending the full length of thegroove, which ridges project from the bottom of the groove suchdistances and which are so spread apart that they are all substantiallyinvisible when the ob-

